Beet-topping machine.



S. A. MOON.

BEET TOPPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FI LED MAR. 31. 1916.

Patented Feb. 27, 1911- 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

INVENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEY S. A. MOON.

BEET TOPPING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED MML3I. 1916.

1,217,330. Patented Feb. 27, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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BEET-TOPPING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 27, 1917.

Application filed March 31, 1916. Serial No. 88,079.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SUMNER A. MooN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Butte, in the county of Silverbow and State of Montana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Beet-Topping Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine for topping beets and is designed to be attached to a beet pulling or lifting machine, this attachment being secured just behind the doubletree, and operates upon the beets as the machine to which it is attached is drawn through the field. j I

The primary object of the invention is to provide a device that is adjustably supported and which travels over the plants whether they be below ground or above and cuts the leaves from the beets any desired distance above the root.

A further object is to provide adjusting means whereby the point where the leaves are cut may be changed to suit the wishes of the party operating the machine or the demands of the customer.

A further object is to provide a guiding shoe that contacts with each plant and positively determines the position for the cut ters to operate. 7

With these objects in view and others to be noted later, the invention consists in' the novel construction and combination of parts herein set forth and illustrated in'the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a beet topping attachment in position for use.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. A

Fig. 4: is a horizontal cross sectional View on the line 45- 1 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view through the bearing of one of the cutters.

Fig. 6 is a side view of the shoe or runner showing the means by which it is'adjusted vertically.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, 10 indicates a supporting frame made of four corner strips of angle-iron 11 that are disposed vertically about a substantially square plate 12 placed about midway between their ends, the angle-irons fitting 'slide freely, the portion of said passing through the bearing having flatagainst the corners of said plate. Top rails 13 connect the upper ends of the angle bars 11 while bottom rails 14 join the lower ends,

' so that the frame 10 is a substantial skeleton frame in which is supported a central vertical standard 15.

Extending across the top of the frame in a horizontal plane and bolted or riveted to the rails 13 is a plate 16, or as shown in Fig. 2,

1 two plates, their edges abutting and in the center of the abutting edges is formed a circular opening for a bearlng 17 having an upper and lower flange to fit over and under the plate 16, whereby said bearing is held securely in its proper position. Through the bearing 17, the standard is adapted to standard tened sides as indicated at 18 to prevent rotation of the standard but permit its longitudinal movement. A similar plate 19 is standard 15 slide.

Surrounding the standard 15 between the bearings 17 and 20 is a spiral spring 22, the

' upper end of which is received and supported in a shallow cup 23 that is held against the bearing 17 by the tension of the spring, a like cup 24 receiving the lower end of the spring, this cup being supported on a nut 25 threaded on the standard 15 above the bearing 20. By raising and lowering the nut on the standard 15, the tension of the spring is increased or decreased, and the downward thrust of the standard is regulated accordingly.

The standard 15 terminates at its lower end a short distance above the ground and is provided at its end with a screw thread 26 on which a runner or shoe 27 is mounted. This runner comprises a blade 28 and a socket 29, the latter being threaded to screw on the lower end of the. standard 15. J am nuts 30 and 31 secure the runner in adjusted position and lock the samesecurely against movement in any direction on the standard.

A short distance above the runner 27 is a two-part collar 32 secured around the standard by bolts which join the parts by clamping the collar to the standard. Upon loosening the bolts, this collar may be raised or lowered into any position desired. Projecting outwardly from each part of the collar 32 are two lugs 33 between which is rigidly bolted one end of a shank 34, provided on its lower end with a cutter disk 35. The lugs 33 on each part of the collar project in opposite directions and therefore the two shanks 34 are diametrically opposite, and

lie in the same plane as the axis of the standard 15. The shanks 34 are placed at such an angle relatively to the-axis of the standard 15 and to each other, that the inner adjacent edges of the cutter disks 35 are in contact or substantially so. Each cutter disk is mounted to turn freely on its shank 34 and may be provided with an anti-friction bearing of some type, one form of such bearing being illustrated in Fig. 5. The edges of the disks are sharpened to a cutting edge so as to readily sever the tops of beets brought into contact with them.

In operation, the frame 10 secured to a beet puller or lifter of any type, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, or in any other suitable way, is drawn through the field in the direction indicated by the arrow in said figure. The collar 32 and the runner 27 having been previously adjusted relatively to each other so that the adjacent edges of the cutters will act on the beet or the root of the plant at the desired point to top the same on proceeding through the field, the runner 27 is caused to pass over the plants, crossing the crown of the beet in every instance. As the runner passes over the beet, the cutters 35 rotate in contact with the leaves the desired height above the plant and sever its leaves from the root. It will thus be seen that whatever distance there may be between the top of the beet and the surface of the ground, whether the beet is one or two inches above the ground, or an equal distance below the same, the cutters 35 will engage the leaves always the same distance above the root, thereby topping the entire field of pl ants with perfect uniformity.

Various changes may be made in the details of this attachment to adapt it for similar uses provided such changes do not depart from the terms of the appended claims.

I claim l. A beet topping machine comprising a rigidly supportedframe, a standard vertically movable therein, a runner on the lower end of said standard, a pair of cooperating disk cutters mountedto rotate on the lower ends of upwardly and inwardly converging shanks attached to said standard; and resilient means for holding the runner in contact with theground.

2. A beet topping machine comprising a rigid frame, a standard vertically movable in said frame, a runner adjustably mounted on the lower end of said standard, a cutter adjustably mounted on the standard on each side of said runner, and a resilient means for holding said runner against the ground.

3. A beet topping machine comprising a rigid frame, a standard mounted in bearings in said frame and slidable vertically through said bearings, a runner attached to the lower end of the standard and vertically adjustable thereon, a collar vertically adjustable on the standard and provided with depending angular shanks, a cutter disk rotatable on each of said shanks and adapted to operate together for cutting the tops of plants, and a resilient means surrounding the standard within the frame for maintaining the runneragainst the ground.

4. In a beet topping machine, a rigid framework, a bearing at the upper and lower ends thereof, a standard mounted to slide longitudinally in said bearings, a runner on the lower end of said standard, and means for vertically adjusting the runner thereon, a collar adjustable on said standard above the runner, said collar having a shank extending downwardly at an angle on opposite sides of the standard, a cutter disk mounted on the lower end of each shank with their edges substantially tangential in rear of the runner, and a spring surrounding the standard within. the frame for holding the runner in contact with the ground.

5. A beet topping machine comprising a runner adjustably mounted on a vertical movable support and a pair of cutters at the sides ofsaid runner, their cooperating edges being vertically adjustable relatively to the bearing surface of the runner.

6. A beet topping machine comprising a runner, vertically adjustable means support ing the same, a pair of cutters carried by said runner support and arranged with their cutting edges substantially tangential, said cutters being adjustable vertically with relation to the bottom of said runner whereby the distance between the planes of the under surface of the runner and the cutting edges of the disks may be changed as desired.

7. In a beet topping machine comprising a rigidly supported frame, a standard vertically movable therein, a runner on the lower end of said standard and adjustable 011 the standard, a collar adjustable on the standard above the runner and having outwardly diverging shanks projecting downwardly therefrom, a rotatable disk cutter on the lower endv of each shank adapted to cooperate with each other in rear of said runner, and resilient means for holding the runner in contact with the ground.

8. A beet topping machine comprising a rigidly supported frame, a standard vertically movable therein, a runner on the lower end of said-standard, means for vertically adjusting said runner on the standard, a disilient means for holding the runner in con 10 vided collar vertically adjustable on the tact with the ground.

standard above said runner, a downwardly In testimony whereof I aflix my signature diverging 1slhank fixed ion each section 03 saild in presence of two Witnesses.

divided co ar, means or adjustin sai co lar on said standard, a disk cutter rotatably SUMNER MOON mounted on the lower end of each shank, Witnesses:

the edges of said cutters cooperating behind FRANK DoULL,

the runner to sever the tops of beets, and re- FOULK WILLIAMS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. G. 

